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A SURPRISE move has helped Mooloolaba claim one of its proudest moments - a win in the prestigious oceanman relay at the World Lifesaving Championships in Adelaide yesterday.

According to the rules of the oceanman (taplin), any team can tag in their run leg participant anywhere between the final swim buoy and the shoreline.

While every other team chose the traditional route - with one athlete completing the swim and then handing the proverbial baton to their run participant on the beach - Mooloolaba took an unorthodox tack.

After Kendrick Louis completed the first half of the swim, he then handed it over to fellow Nutri-Grain Series competitor Matt Poole after he rounded the final turn.

While the sight of Poole wading out 120m into the ocean had many scratching their heads and some reaching for the rule books, it ultimately paid handsome dividends.

The plan was the brainchild of Poole after he on Friday realised the race would coincide with the low tide.

The fact that Poole and Louis had also completed the ironman race just minutes before the start of the oceanman also entered into their calculations. Poole and Louis were spent after the ironman and the tactic allowed them to split the swim leg duties.

After Nick Gale (ski) and Cam Cole (board) gave the Mooloolaba team an early lead, Louis and Poole finished off the race, giving the club a memorable win in front of Northcliffe and Bronte.

"It nearly ended up back- firing," Poole said of the team's approach.

"I did half the swim and I had fresh legs in the back half of the race but we nearly ended up paying for it. The two other runners were coming hard behind me on the run and I had jelly legs.